Electron Backscatter Diffraction (“EBSD”) and x-ray spectrometry have grown into robust analytic techniques for the measurement of material properties. EBSD, energy dispersive spectrometry (“EDS”), and wavelength dispersive spectrometry (“WDS”) are analytical techniques performed in a scanning electron microscope (“SEM”) in a low pressure or near vacuum environment. A sample is positioned beneath a column housing an electron source. The electron source may be any suitable source, such as a tungsten filament, thermal field emission, or LaB6 electron source. The electron source may emit electrons that are directed in a beam through the column and toward a sample chamber. The sample chamber may be connected to the column and allow a sample to be held in line with the electron beam for imaging.
EBSD conventionally images crystallographic orientations from a prepared surface that is substantially flat and free of deformation from the preparation (i.e., polishing). EDS conventionally images surfaces in which an interaction volume of the electron beam interacts with the desired sample region. The sample may have an unprepared surface allowing sampling of the exposed surface (e.g., particles or broken and/or cut surfaces) or a prepared surface that is substantially flat. Non-conductive samples may be made more conductive by deposition of a conductive layer over at least part of the surface in order to provide a conductive path to ground. For example, carbon layers or gold layers sputtered onto the surface of a sample can provide a conductive layer that dissipates charge from the sample to the sample stage or other ground within the sample chamber.